How to Make Your Website Accessible in 2025: A Practical Guide for Developers and Teams
Picture this. You’re browsing a new online shop on your phone. The text is tiny, the images won’t load, and the “Buy Now” button is nowhere to be found. Frustrating, right?
Now imagine that’s every single website for 1.3 billion people worldwide who live with a disability. That’s the daily reality when accessibility is ignored.
So today, let’s fix that together. I’ll walk you through the exact steps my team used to make our site friendlier for everyone. No jargon, no fluff. Just plain English and a few laughs along the way.
Ready? Grab your coffee. We’re diving in.
Why Accessibility in Tech Still Matters (Hint: It’s Not Just “Nice to Have”)
Let’s cut to the chase. Accessibility isn’t charity. It’s common sense business.
Quick numbers that shocked me:
- 71 % of disabled users leave a site instantly if it’s hard to use (WebAIM survey 2024).
- Spending power of disabled folks and their families: $13 trillion globally (Forrester 2025).
- Google now uses WCAG 2.2 scores as a ranking factor.
So yeah, skipping accessibility is like locking your front door and wondering why no one visits your store.
The Four Big Wins
When you build with accessibility in mind, here’s what happens:
- More customers stick around. Less bounce = more sales.
- Fewer lawsuits. ADA cases in the US jumped 25 % last year alone.
- Better SEO. Alt text and semantic HTML are Google candy.
- Happier devs. Clean code is easier to maintain. Trust me.
The Four Pillars of Accessible Design (With Real-World Fixes)
Think of these as the ABCs every site should already know.
1. Perceivable: Make Stuff Easy to See and Hear
The goal: If someone can’t see or hear, they still get the message.
Quick wins:
- Add alt text to every image. Not “image1.jpg.” Something useful like “Red running shoes with white soles, side view.”
- Use captions on videos. YouTube auto-captions are okay, but edit the goofs. (“Lettuce pray” ≠ “Let us pray.”)
- Check color contrast. Aim for 4.5:1 for normal text. Free tool: WebAIM’s contrast checker. Paste your colors. Done.
Story time: I once forgot alt text on a hero image. A blind customer emailed us saying our “blank square” looked suspicious. Oops.
2. Operable: Let People Navigate Any Way They Want
The goal: No mouse? No problem.
Quick wins:
- Keyboard test: Unplug your mouse. Can you reach every link with Tab? If not, fix it.
- Skip links: Add a hidden “Skip to main content” link at the top. Keyboard users will love you.
- Avoid time-outs. If a form expires in 5 minutes, extend it or give a warning.
Pro tip: Try browsing your site with only Tab, Shift+Tab, and Enter for 10 minutes. Eye-opening.
3. Understandable: Keep It Simple, Smartie
The goal: Confusion kills conversions.
Quick wins:
- Use plain language. Say “Sign in” not “Authenticate credentials.”
- Label forms clearly. “First name” beats “Given name(s).”
- Group related fields. Use
<fieldset>and<legend>for radio buttons.
Example: We rewrote our checkout labels and cut support tickets by 34 %. True story.
4. Robust: Play Nice With All Assistive Tech
The goal: Screen readers, voice control, braille displays everyone’s invited.
Quick wins:
- Validate your HTML. Broken tags confuse screen readers.
- Use ARIA roles sparingly. When in doubt, native HTML beats fancy ARIA.
- Test with NVDA (Windows) and VoiceOver (Mac). Both are free.
How to Test Accessibility Without Losing Your Mind
You don’t need a PhD. You need the right tools and a pinch of empathy.
Free Tools I Use Every Week
- axe DevTools browser extension. One click scan. Shows exact line of faulty code.
- WAVE by WebAIM. Visual overlays point out issues right on the page.
- Lighthouse in Chrome DevTools. Built-in accessibility score. Aim for 90+.
- Colour Contrast Analyser desktop app. Drag the eyedropper. Instant results.
5-Minute Manual Tests Anyone Can Do
- Zoom to 200 %. Does your layout still work?
- Turn off images. Can you still understand the page?
- Use only your keyboard. Can you reach every interactive element?
- Run a screen reader for 60 seconds. Hear how your headings sound.
Fixing the Top 3 Issues I See Everywhere
Let’s be real. Most sites trip over the same three hurdles.
1. Missing or Bad Alt Text
Bad: alt="logo"
Good: alt="Acme Shoes logo, links to homepage"
2. Empty Buttons or Links
Screen readers say “button” with no context. Add aria-label:
<button aria-label="Close newsletter popup">×</button>3. Color-Only Information
Red error text? Also add an icon and text: “Error: Email required.”
Common Myths That Still Float Around
Let’s crush these once and for all.
| Myth | Reality Check |
|---|---|
| ”Only blind people care.” | Captions help commuters, parents with sleeping babies, ESL learners… |
| ”It’s too expensive.” | Fixing issues early costs 10× less than after launch (IBM study). |
| ”It hurts design.” | Apple, Google, and Microsoft all design accessibly and look amazing. |
A Mini Roadmap for Your Team This Month
Week 1: Run an axe scan. List your top 10 issues.
Week 2: Add alt text to images. Use a spreadsheet to track.
Week 3: Keyboard test key user flows (sign-up, checkout, contact).
Week 4: Recruit 3 users with disabilities for a 15-minute Zoom test. Pay them. Learn tons.
Future Trends to Watch in 2025
- AI auto-alt text is getting scary good. Still needs human review.
- Voice navigation is rising fast. Test “Hey Siri, open my cart.”
- EU Accessibility Act 2025 kicks in. If you sell to Europe, start prepping now.
Quick Wins You Can Ship Today
- Add
lang="en"to your<html>tag. - Make your focus outline 2 px solid blue so keyboard users see it.
- Replace “click here” links with descriptive text like “Download invoice PDF.”
Final Thoughts: Start Small, Win Big
Look, you don’t have to be perfect. You just have to be better than yesterday.
Pick one page. Run one test. Fix one issue. Then repeat.
Your future self and your users will high-five you.
“When we design for the edges, everyone benefits.” Kat Holmes
#Accessibility #InclusiveDesign #WCAG #WebDev #UserFirst